Houser, Allan, 1914-1994

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Allan Houser was born Allan Capron Haozous on June 30, 1914. Houser’s parents, Sam and Blossom Haozous, belonged to the Chiricahua Apache tribe; Sam’s father was first cousin to the legendary Apache leader Geronimo.

In 1934 Houser left Oklahoma to study at Dorothy Dunn's Art Studio at the Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1937, Allan had his first solo exhibition at the Museum of New Mexico. Within two years of graduating from the Indian School, he had already shown his work at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Golden Gate International Exposition, and the New York World’s Fair. In addition, he received a commission to paint full-size murals in the Department of the Interior’s Washington, D.C. headquarters. In 1948, the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas awarded Allan Houser a commission that essentially launched his sculpting career. Comrade in Mourning, the carrara marble memorial he sculpted, remains one of his most iconic works.

Houser taught at the Inter-Mountain School for 11 years, while also drawing, painting, and sculpting. He later joined the faculty of the newly created Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1975 Houser retired from teaching to focus exclusively on his art. In 1992, he became the first Native American awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 1994, he passed away.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Indian Arts and Crafts Board accession records National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.) Archive Center
referencedIn Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Christine Macy's Files, 1998 - 1999 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Governor's Arts Awards Collection, 1974-open, 1997-2004 Fray Angélico Chávez History Library, New Mexico History Museum.
referencedIn Bobbie Greene's Files, 1997–1998 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Gallery Wall records Archives of American Art
referencedIn IAIA Records--Compiled by Chuck Dailey, 1962, 1962 Institute of American Indian Arts
referencedIn Photographs of Eastern Cherokee and other Native American Artist and Craftspeople Files, 1950–1983 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Houser, Allan, 1914-1994 : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Laura Schiller's Files, 1993 - 2001 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Victor and Christine Romero film of Allan Houser National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.) Archive Center
creatorOf Houser, Allan, 1914-1994. Artist file. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
referencedIn Photographs Relating to the Clinton Administration, 1/20/1993 - 1/20/2001 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Anne Bartley's Subject Files , ca. 1993 - ca. 2001 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Museum of Fine Arts (Museum of New Mexico). Museum of Fine Arts exhibition vertical file, 1917-[ongoing]. Museum of New Mexico Library
referencedIn Winona M. Garmhausen Papers, Bulk, 1976-1983, 1891-1990 1962-1983 Institute of American Indian Arts Archives
referencedIn Photographs of Apache Indians of Oklahoma, ca. 1900-ca. 1945. Museum of the Great Plains
referencedIn Correspondence, 1935–1983 National Archives at Seattle
referencedIn Libby, Scott. Libby collection. The Heard Museum Library
referencedIn James A. McGrath Papers, 1962-2003, 1962-1973, 1988-1989 Institute of American Indian Arts
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, 1973 - . Video Tape Programs and Worldnet Broadcasts, 1999 - 2009 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Karen Finney's Files, 1993–2001 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Museum of Fine Arts (Museum of New Mexico). Museum of Fine Arts vertical file of New Mexican artists, 1917-[ongoing]. Museum of New Mexico Library
referencedIn Houser, Allan : Biographical file. Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Gallery Wall Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Museum of Fine Arts (Museum of New Mexico) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Apache OK US
Santa Fe NM US
United States 00 US
Subject
Occupation
Artists
Sculptors
Activity

Person

Birth 1914-06-30

Death 1994-08-22

Americans

Information

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SNAC ID: 87979107